How good are the brakes on a 1981 XS650 Special?

Hi Carl,
Rest of the World's XS650s got dual front brakes but North American XS650's only got got one (Effin' stylists)
All XS650s.got the same size front brake lever hydraulic piston (Effin' cheapskate production managers)
Add left side brake disk & caliper OR swap in a smaller piston brake lever to get better braking.
Find several upgrades to XS650 stock brakes in the search box.
XS650 stainless brake disk has a lower friction coefficient than a Guzzi's cast iron disk but it don't rust as you ride in the rain.
And yes, I have seen Guzzi brake disks rust on a wet ride.
Sourcing and fitting the OEM dual disc setup is a total waste of time and money IMHO. You may just as well weld a small anvil to the front fender. It has about the same effect on the suspension, without doing much for the braking. The stock dual discs, calipers, pads, master cylinder and brake lines from my -77 live in the bottom of a cardboard box, as long as I keep the bike. A single 298 to 320 mm disc and a decent caliper with a correct size master will give all the brake you need.
 
Good comments, Gents. But let me add just one more thing (ain't there always just one more thing?) The rotor should be carefully deglazed and cleaned when new pads are installed. Wipe it down with solvent to remove brake dust, oil, and grease, whether you see any or not. Then sand the surface with medium sand paper to remove glaze and any trace of old compound. Use "garnet paper" for this, that's the kind with actual sand on it; aluminum oxide wet-or-dry paper will leave traces that will contaminate new pads. Then wipe down with solvent again.
 
Sourcing and fitting the OEM dual disc setup is a total waste of time and money IMHO. You may just as well weld a small anvil to the front fender. It has about the same effect on the suspension, without doing much for the braking. The stock dual discs, calipers, pads, master cylinder and brake lines from my -77 live in the bottom of a cardboard box, as long as I keep the bike. A single 298 to 320 mm disc and a decent caliper with a correct size master will give all the brake you need.

Interesting.............How do you fit the calipers to a 300mm rotor when the caliper mounts are for the smaller 265mm disk
 
Interesting.............How do you fit the calipers to a 300mm rotor when the caliper mounts are for the smaller 265mm disk
Caliper adapter plate. Like I did on mine with a 320 mm disc and Brembo caliper.
Anyway, wasn't the single disc on the 73 to 76 298 mm?
 
Good comments, Gents. But let me add just one more thing (ain't there always just one more thing?) The rotor should be carefully deglazed and cleaned when new pads are installed. Wipe it down with solvent to remove brake dust, oil, and grease, whether you see any or not. Then sand the surface with medium sand paper to remove glaze and any trace of old compound. Use "garnet paper" for this, that's the kind with actual sand on it; aluminum oxide wet-or-dry paper will leave traces that will contaminate new pads. Then wipe down with solvent again.
Agreed that deglazing is important. I have a disc conditioner that fits on the end of a drill that does an excellent job of scuffing up the surface of the disc for proper bedding in if new pads. I’ll post a pic later when I find it in my tool box.
 
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